Towing Break in?

[hitchjnj]

I have just purchased a 2012 3500 4x2 DRW an automatic transmission. My 2003 gave up the fight while we were on a trip and I had to get another truck. I pull a 32' NUWA fifth wheel. I have put over 500 miles on the truck and thought I was good to make the 250 mile trip back to my winter park when I came across a warning blurp in manual that says for the first 500 miles of trailer hauling not to exceed 50MPH. I don't remember that on any of my other trucks. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this? My trip back is all interstate driving and I'm concerned about maxing out at 50MPH.



2012 3500 ST DRW automatic transmission.

2003 3500 SLT DRW 5600 Navstar(Sold)

1999 2500 SLT automatic transmission(Sold)

 

[Simplysmn]

I believe they mean the First 500 miles after that hook it up n go

 

[Slow Six]

I picked up my new 2012 and drove it about 400 miles to pick up our M/S that weighs about 19000 lbs. The engine was well warmed up once I got to the highway and than to work just like I would always be driving it. The first trip was at speed limits and made to pull on the hills. I have over 6000 miles on it now and it has not used a drop of oil. In my opinion do not baby it. These engines are built to work. It seems that the guys who drive them the hardest (within reason) have the best luck and the least problems with all the enviro stuff. Drive it and enjoy it. It is not FRAGILE.

 

[HBarlow]

My memory may not be correct but I'm thinking the last time I read that warning in the owner's manual it was to avoid trailer towing during the first 500 miles. Perhaps the manual warning has been changed. If you're sure that is what the warning says I would avoid interstate highway speeds with the trailer in tow for 500 miles. You could safely tow at 55 mph staying in the outside lane.

The ring and pinion gears in the differential(s) must wear in together and during the first 500 miles AAM apparently believes that considerable heat will be generated during the break in procedure. Towing a heavy fifthwheel trailer during the break in period will generate very high heat loads and could cause early failure.

If you've already put 500 non-towing miles on the truck I would drive it moderately and monitor differential temp. Do you have an infrared heat gun? Not too long ago one could be purchased at Radio Shack for around $50. You can stop every hour, kneel down and point the infrared gun at the differential and press the button and read differential temp If it is excessive allow it to cool then drive slower.

 

[craiggo]

I think Harvey is right. I remember reading the Dodge (er, RAM) manual that says to avoid towing for the first 500 miles. However, the Cummins manual says towing right away is better for break in.

My thought on this is that these same engines are used on Class A motor homes, Boats and tractors. Once those are delivered, they use them right away for their intended use. I cant imagine a Cummins powered combine having to drive around the farm for a year before it has enough miles on it to actually cut corn.

For what its worth, I picked up mine on Thurs before Memorial Day 2010 and on Friday (with 80miles on it) towed my 8000lb trailer a couple hundred miles. I've not had one speck of trouble with mine (minus a few recalls).

I'd not think twice about doing it over again.

 

[RonD]

I think the 500 miles is in the owners manual, both in my 05, and the new 12 truck, and I agree with HB it was for the ring and pinion, but in the real world a 5th wheel, or a Recreational trailer is not what the Engineers were concerned about, I suspect the real heavy haulers was there aim

 

[Bill Stockard]

I have just purchased a 2012 3500 4x2 DRW an automatic transmission. My 2003 gave up the fight while we were on a trip and I had to get another truck. I pull a 32' NUWA fifth wheel. I have put over 500 miles on the truck and thought I was good to make the 250 mile trip back to my winter park when I came across a warning blurp in manual that says for the first 500 miles of trailer hauling not to exceed 50MPH. I don't remember that on any of my other trucks. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this? My trip back is all interstate driving and I'm concerned about maxing out at 50MPH.



2012 3500 ST DRW automatic transmission.

2003 3500 SLT DRW 5600 Navstar(Sold)

1999 2500 SLT automatic transmission(Sold)

It was in your '03 Owner's Manual also.



Bill

 

[RVTRKN]

There are owners that have hooked up and towed within the first hundred miles and never looked back. But if it were me, I would follow the manual, however if I were in your position I would go ahead and tow. You have broke in the engine, and as far as towing just don't drive it with a heavy throttle and don't settle in on one speed, and not over 65. Don't use the cruise control, and slowly pick up speed or decelerate slowly.



In 07 when I purchased my C&C I only had 250 miles on the odometer, and had to drive to Kansas to have my bed installed. So the first 250 miles I did just that.

 

[HBarlow]

Everyone who knows anything about a Cummins engine says drive them away from the dealer's lot and drive them like you always will. You can't harm one working it hard, even on day one. The Cummins won't overheat, won't suffer in any way.

The break-in warning is for the AAM differential(s).

 

[craiggo]

Everyone who knows anything about a Cummins engine says drive them away from the dealer's lot and drive them like you always will. You can't harm one working it hard, even on day one. The Cummins won't overheat, won't suffer in any way.

The break-in warning is for the AAM differential(s).

Harvey,

And I don't mean to hijack this thread.....

What is it about these engines that won't let them overheat? I was just at a campground near Disneyland and ran into a group from Canada that had about 6 Rams. We were talking about towing in the summer etc. and they were saying the same thing. I've also seen this posted numerous times on this board but don't understand what is so unique about them (besides the name) that makes them more tolerant to this than other motors? I know I don't see anywhere near the temp fluctuations with this truck that I saw with my 6. 0.

Craig

 

[BILLUA]

Harvey,



And I don't mean to hijack this thread.....



What is it about these engines that won't let them overheat? I was just at a campground near Disneyland and ran into a group from Canada that had about 6 Rams. We were talking about towing in the summer etc. and they were saying the same thing. I've also seen this posted numerous times on this board but don't understand what is so unique about them (besides the name) that makes them more tolerant to this than other motors? I know I don't see anywhere near the temp fluctuations with this truck that I saw with my 6. 0.



Craig

I'll take a stab, less moving parts on the I6 versus the V8 therefore, less frictional heat is generated. I know, too simplistic

 

[HBarlow]

Craig,

I don't honestly have an answer, only an opinion. My answer is even more simplistic than billua's. I think his answer is part of the reason but I also think it is simply a superior design, designed to be a work engine.

I think the engine is so well designed and so beautifully simple, it naturally cools well. Water jackets run along each side of the block alongside and around each cylinder in Cummins B motors prior to the ISB6. 7. (IIRC, the 6. 7 enlarged the bore in a block with the same or similar piston center to piston center spacing which sort of siamesed the bores and I think the water jacket no longer surrounds each bore. Apparently it is still good enough though. )

Water jackets and coolant flow through the block and head is purpose designed to be capable of removing heat under full throttle, full power, full load operation all day long in high ambient temps. Cummins probably made few or no concessions to underhood spacing because they didn't have to. It is a big long six cylinder block with plenty of room to add turbo, intake and exhaust, oil filter, injection pump, and other accessories. Cummins didn't have to design to squeeze 100 pounds of junk into a ten pound bag and fit it in a short and narrow engine compartment squeezed under a low hood like in Furds and Govt. Motors crap.

I don't like the 6. 7 design much, it speaks to me of compromise instead of designing for the best product, but mine works as well as previous 5. 9s did. I had never heard of overheating issues until a member bought a 2011 C&C and had heating issues. He traded his C&C for a new pickup and said he doesn't have heat issues now. I don't know why.

 

[AH64ID]

What is it about these engines that won't let them overheat?

Good design and a HUGE cooling system.



The Dodge has the largest capacity cooling system of the major 3 diesel pickups (or did in 2005, not sure about current model year), combine that with the previous answers and you get the idea. Each cylinder also has 2 sides exposed to the engine bay, thus more radiant heat loss per cubic inch.



Another thing is the way emissions were met on the late 5. 9, and now 6. 7, puts a lot of the heat into the exhaust vs the cooling system.



A tuner adds a few degrees to the coolant temp even without adding fuel, more work is being done in the cylinder and thus more heat absorption by the coolant.

 

[RVTRKN]

Bored and longer stroke from what I read in 07. The engine was originally designed for medium duty which can be a very high GVWR, when Cummins pitched the idea to Dodge they snubbed their nose at it, and Cummins bore the costs and dodge donated a truck. The engine had to be redesigned to fit the small engine compartment for the Dodge. It's a damn good thing to, because we can run up to 500K before we start to worry about wearing them out. The main reason they don't overheat is because they are under utilized.

 

[RVTRKN]

I can't find the arctical I read, but I believe it was an arctical from TDR, and the enginer who was involved, was interviewed and told the story. My memory is not what it used to be, but why it stuck in my mind was the fact that Dodge snubbed thier nose at the Cummins and was thinking of a Navistar engine. So it could have been an engine other than a Cummins in Dodge. The first or second cummins powered Dodge was featured in the arcticle.



So lets just say your facts are good, it is still a Medium Duty engine in a light duty truck and is under utilized, and is one of many reasons they don't overheat.

 

[HBarlow]

You must be reading some internet myth. The B model Cummins was developed as a joint venture with Case - the name given the venture was Consolidated Diesel. It is the same engine that has been used in thousands of tractors. My neighbors have two tractors and a combine with the 5. 9 L Cummins and it basically looks the same as the engine in my 99 CTD. No re-design was needed to fit the Dodge platform.

Chuckle. I often wonder where he gets the things he posts. They usually have little connection with reality.

I have a copy of a several pages out of a long ago very early issue of TDR magazine that told the true story. Two engineers, one at Cummins and one at Dodge saw the need and on their own, without approval or funding from either parent company, pulled a forgotten Ram 2500 test mule out of inventory and installed a Cummins B engine and determined it could be done. They then sold the idea to corporate decision makers.

I think one or both of those gentlemen were present at the TDR rally at Cummins last summer. I would have loved to hear their story and meet them.

 

[RVTRKN]

Chuckle. I often wonder where he gets the things he posts. They usually have little connection with reality.

Chuckle, Ya, I forgot, your an expert attorney for every State DMV, as well as every State and Fed DOT regulation. Auto trany's, both D/C versions and clutch and manual trany's as well as gen 4 expert. Your a programer, tuner, hell, we'll just declare you a know it all. :-laf:-laf:-laf

 

[rscurtis]

It was a Mitsubishi. I drove one with an aftermarket turbo and it was nothing exciting. I would think by now that engine is a complete orphan with no parts or service back up.

 

[NIsaacs]

The little, late 70's model IHC Scouts had a Nissan Turbo Diesel that was pretty good. The early naturally asperated ones were junk at 6,000 ft.



Nick

 

[RVTRKN]

Thanks to the members of Chrysler's management team who believed a diesel-powered Ram would sell, Cummins was given the go-ahead to outfit a truck with a non-running diesel engine in 1984. After the mock-up, a list of modifications required to make the engine fit were presented to Chrysler's engineers-and the potential that it could indeed work was realized. The following year, the first operational prototype was put together by Cummins (a two-wheel-drive model with the TF727 three-speed automatic) and soon after, road testing began with the truck. After a 1 year delay (due to completing some final engineering duties), the diesel-powered Rams debuted in mid-1988. Knowing how vital it was that the diesel program be a sales success, Chrysler's top management officials decided to put Cummins Turbo Diesel badges on each truck in order to advertise the powerhouse under the hood.



Read more: The First 5. 9L-Powered Ram Pickup - Diesel Power Magazine







This is another version and it does state that the modifacations were relayed to Chrysler, but I believe that is modifactions to the truck not the engine.